Outdated laws hurt democratization

By Lee Jowquen 李兆坤

Last but not least, many laws essential to people’s livelihood or to administrative regulations were enacted during the Period of Political Tutelage, including the Land Act (土地法), Privately Owned Public Utilities Supervisory Act (民營公用事業監督條例), Custody Act (管收條例), Factory Act (工廠法), Employee Welfare Fund Act (職工福利金條例), Personnel Management Act (人事管理條例) and Procedural Act for Ending Political Tutelage (訓政結束程序法).

The overall framework continues to be built on the ideas of the era of “political tutelage,” and it has not undergone a single overhaul for 80 years.

Laws such as the Land Act have even been rendered ineffective by the enactment of new legislation, but they were overlooked during last year’s review.

It is difficult to see how these kinds of legal amendments would help promote a democratic transition.

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